10 Best Found Footage Horror Films You've Never Seen

Beginning with the massive success of 1999’s ‘Blair Witch Project’ to 2009’s ‘Paranormal Activity’, the found-footage sub-genre has branched out from being a gimmick to an actual story-telling device for filmmakers to explore fear in a brand new terrifying way. It has even branched out of horror and seeped into other genres like sci-fi (the upcoming ‘Chronicle’) and comedy.

While most people are aware of the popular films in the genre that include ‘Paranormal Activity’, ‘Blair Witch’ and ‘The Last Exorcism’ among others, I’m not here to list that. Hell, I’m not even here to list some of the less famous but excellent ones like ‘Rec’ (which you must watch). After months of hunting down and watching countless bad to good movies that the found-footage sub-genre has to offer, I bring you the 10 most obscure gems that you’ve most likely never seen. If you thought 'Paranormal Activity' was scary, wait till you see what other low-budget indies do with the format. Get ready for sleepless nights.

10. Re-Cut

Heavily inspired by ‘Blair Witch Project’, ‘Re-Cut’ is less of a horror movie but more of a thriller that has a great mythology and setting behind it. Thankfully, it manages to exceed expectations and actually delivers a pretty creepy and sometimes disturbing story that may be light on scares but pays off in a satisfying manner.

9. Grave Encounters

It was about time someone used the found-footage format to do a ‘TV show gone wrong’ horror film, and ‘Grave Encounters’ is exactly that. Following a team of ghost-hunters who decide to stay in a haunted asylum for an episode of their TV show, things go downhill and in very creepy territory as the film goes on. There’s some chilling moments and lots of suspense, even though the third act may be a little too over the top for some viewers. Regardless, it’s a polished film that does something new with the format.

8. Cannibal Holocaust

Most people attribute the invention of found-footage films to ‘The Blair Witch Project’. But the grand-daddy of found-footage films might even be the most controversial of them all even after 30 years. ‘Cannibal Holocaust’ is way back from 1980 and follows an American professor investigating the disappearance of a group of documentarians who went into the jungle to film a tribe of local cannibals. The film is graphic and exploitative, being definitely not for everyone but effective on its own. It was notorious back in its day for having live animal killings on screen because they didn’t have a budget to use props. In fact, the film looks so real that people began to think it’s a snuff film and the filmmakers were ordered to court to prove that it was not. It’s the kind of publicity that studios wish they could buy nowadays, but ‘Cannibal Holocaust’ is still remembered as a found-footage film that even inspired ‘The Blair Witch Project’ which went ahead to steal all the thunder.

7. TrollHunter

Coming straight out of Norway, this found-footage mockumentary is the most unique in storyline from any of the films mentioned here. It deals with a documentary crew in Norway going about to investigate a series of mysterious murders. After a bit of nosing around, they find a troll-hunter and find out that huge trolls actually still exist in the modern world and are not just a myth. From there on out, it’s a thrilling ride although not easily categorized as a horror film. There are some very suspenseful action sequences and excellent CGI that makes it all very believable. Even though the plot begins to drag mid-way, there are some unique themes here that Hollywood has never done before including an interesting religious angle that comes into play. Hollywood has already announced a remake, but the film feels so seeped into the Norwegian culture that it would be hard to translate it for American audiences without losing much of its power.

6. Exhibit A

Exhibit A wouldn’t really classify as an all-out horror film, but it decides to be much more subtle and psychological. It’s by far the most realistic portrayal I’ve seen of a deconstruction of a happy family. Just like ‘Home Movie’ did, the film uses amateur footage recorded by the daughter of the family to tell the story of a family that seems very jolly on the outside but slowly disintegrates into a terrifying conclusion. It’s extremely relatable in its themes and shines in terms of acting and realism that was much-needed for a film of this sort. Without bringing in the supernatural, the film uses every-day family household things to craft a terrifying and tragic tale that needs to be seen even with its flaws. The best part? Somehow, you can watch it legally for free right now on Youtube right here.